Implementing Principles of Environmental Justice: A Los Angeles Regional Model
Presented by: Jackie Lane, U.S. EPA Region 9; and Gina Margillo, California Department of Health Services

The Palos Verdes Shelf, located off the coast of Los Angeles, is among the largest contaminated sediment sites in the U.S. Between 1947 and 1983, the Montrose Chemical Company discharged over 100 tons of DDT into local sewers that emptied into the Pacific Ocean. Other industries also released PCBs into the water. This area is heavily fished by subsistence fishers from several Asian communities and some contaminated fish has shown up in local markets. The Fish Contamination Education Collaborative (FCEC) is a two-year outreach and education project, sponsored by the U.S. EPA, to prevent exposures of populations eating fish caught from the Los Angeles and Orange County coasts; educate the affected populations about health risks associated with consuming contaminated fish; and strengthen the ability of community-based organizations (CBOs) to address fish-contamination issues.
Using the principles of environmental justice to design the project, eight CBOs were awarded grants to plan and implement culturally appropriate programs to educate community members about fish contamination issues. Environmental justice principles are the foundation of the four project programs. The first program, Market Outreach, involves CBOs working with market owners to promote the purchase of fish from reputable sources. For the second program, Pier Outreach, a community-based environmental organization leads efforts to hire and train members of the most affected communities to become outreach workers to conduct education to anglers. In the third project, General Outreach, community leaders receive training to design and implement fish contamination workshops within their communities. For the fourth project, Media Outreach, CBOs will receive media advocacy training to launch radio, TV and print ad campaigns.